Keeping Up With The Latest News In Bitcoin

Nov

What is Bitcoin?If you have not heard the latest news in Bitcoin you really would have to be living under a rock. Just about every major news reporting agency has reported on its recent explosion around the world. It is trending in almost every major country and even is getting noticed in areas that some might least expect. Based on where things stand as of now it appears that Bitcoin will stand the test against doubts that were had when it was first created.

Just earlier this month it surpassed all of its previous records, soaring to over a value of $7000 per coin, which critics had never imagined would be possible. With a few dips in between it has continued to rise in value and at this point, it is expected to continue to do so in the months ahead. Many are using this is their new means of investing as well as trade with those from other countries. Many people do not even know where to buy Bitcoin

Some countries, however, are not reaping the benefits of its exploding. In China, it is not legal to purchase or use this market. They have completely banned Initial Coin Offerings, commonly referred to as ICOs, and even shut down all of the exchanges operating there. This was done in September. Some strategists believe it is an effort to control the value of the dollar compared with the United States. Initially it did have a major impact, causing the value of the coin to drop by a couple of thousand dollars to around $3000, but clearly, that is no longer causing any problems.

In fact, there have been some positive developments in the regulation of the market to ensure that there is not insider trading issues and manipulation which could inflate its value illegitimately. Both the United States and Japan have implemented measures to ensure this. China’s move has also limited the number of coins available, which will help stabilize the value over time.

Another positive development is that Wall Street is now recognizing its legitimate investment possibilities. Recently CME has issued futures on the coin and there are a number of hedge funds that are utilizing its potential. Of course, the value increase has played a role, but the general feeling in Wall Street is that technology is rebounding in all markets, helping to send stock markets to all new levels. This is in great part due to the recent successes of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and much more. In many ways, it seems that the drive towards success in the markets not seen since the 90s is working its way back into how people are choosing to invest.

In almost every way, the latest news in Bitcoin has been positive. The value is skyrocketing and the market is becoming safe than ever. Other investors that had once been critical of ICO’s are not joining the bandwagon, which is only increasing its popularity with the average consumer. It will be interesting to watch where this “people’s currency” takes modern culture.

15

Nov

Gold and Bitcoin are both hot commodities at the moment, but which should you invest in? The answer, as with any form of difficult financial decision, is “it depends”. Gold is a commodity that is physical, that you can hold in your hands, and that actually has real-world uses. It is valuable because we have decided that it looks pretty and we can use it to make jewelry with. It is also valuable because it is a good conductor and it can be used in the world of electronics.

Bitcoin, on the other hand, is relatively new and it is entirely virtual. It has value because we have decided, collectively, that a bitcoin is worth a certain amount of money. If we were to be cynical about it, that is all any currency is. People come together to agree that a unit of currency has a specific value which can be used to trade. If that agreement falls apart for political reasons or because there is a crisis, then the currency is worthless. Only a barter system would work – but not everyone has skills that can be easily bartered. Would you sell space on your web server for carrots and chicken?

Bitcoin is gaining value because it is popular right now and people are just starting to accept its worth. There are some who are predicting that this is a bubble and that it will lose all of its value and become a currency that is worth far less in the long term. Gold, on the other hand, is a bit of a safe-haven. It gains value far more slowly, but if you plot the trends over years and years, it is gaining value.

So, the question of what you should invest in really depends on if you want to make some money in the short term, or if you are looking for something that you can buy and forget about. Gold is a safe long-term bet. Bitcoin probably will (of course, this is just speculation and should not be taken as financial advice) make significant gains in the short term, but could be a riskier long-term investment.

The distributed ledger technology is a good bet. The idea of a cryptocurrency is a clever one – but just as the first companies to launch in the dotcom era failed – only to be replaced by massive companies later on – Bitcoin could be doomed just because it was the first to the market.

It is sensible to diversify your portfolio. If you invest in both gold and Bitcoin, and watch your investments with a cool head while reading the news and tracking what is going on, then you should be safe whatever you invest in. Don’t buy out of greed, and don’t sell out of fear, and whatever you decide to trade should be a comparatively safe bet. Invest only what you can afford to put at risk, and good luck!